A WEAKLING BRIDE FOR THE LYCAN KING

[ Elena ]

"I, Lycan Nikolai Duskborn, Lycan King of the Duskborn werewolf realm, reject you, Elena Rivers, as my mate..."

Even though the words didn't come exactly to me as a shock, I wouldn't deny the way the sting of rejection hit me like a punch to the gut.

The crowd around us gasped and I could hear some people snickering delightfully behind me.

"Rejected. I knew it." An unidentified girl whispered.

"She really thought she would be Luna? A pathetic sick girl like her?" Another woman sneered.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand tall, despite the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck. But truth be told, I didn't feel all that bad. Sure, I was the center of mockery once again, but deep down, I felt relieved.

I could never imagine myself bound to a man like Lycan Nikolai. He was too cold, ruthless, and had lived thousands of years as an immortal. I wasn't the first girl he had been mated to. Matter of fact, he had been mated to many women before me, but because they were mortal, he would reject them when they started to get older and mate with someone younger again. This time, it was me whom the moon goddess had chosen for him.

"Elena!" I heard my stepmother, Valeria's voice behind me. She walked to stand beside me and immediately bowed her head before Lycan Nikolai before straightening her posture again. "My king, if I may?"

Nikolai turned his cold, amber eyes toward her. He didn't look like he was interested in whatever she was about to say, but she continued anyway.

"While the rejection of a mate is final, there is a custom that I would like to remind you of." She said and Lycan Nikolai raised a brow at her. Even though he was thousands of years old, he looked nothing like his age. He looked hot and sexy, like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. In fact, he had to be the hottest man I had ever set eyes on.

"What custom?" Lycan Nikolai asked and she immediately answered with a sly smile.

"Well, My King, it is customary that a rejected mate's blood relative may take her place." She placed a hand on Sophie's shoulder, pushing her forward like a prized trophy. Sophie was my step sister. "In this case, Elena's sister would be the perfect match."

I blinked in disbelief and averted my gaze to the both of them. I couldn't believe they would be so shameless to jump at an opportunity like two desperate opportunists.

Beside Valerie, Sophie looked radiant. Her perfect, porcelain skin was glowing and a fake innocence plastered across her face.

I felt my heart swell with rage as my mind traveled back to last night when I had caught her in bed with my boyfriend, Jake. She had laughed in my face and told me I shouldn't be selfish as I was a sick girl who would die anytime soon. Just before I saw them naked together yesterday, I had thought that I'd be mated to Jake today and escape this shit-hole, called my life. But it turned out everything was just a dream.

And now, Sophie was about to step in my place and become the Lycan King's mate? How much lower could she stoop?

My father, who was standing behind us nodded his head eagerly in agreement.

"Yes, My King. Sophie is everything Elena isn't. She is strong and capable of being the perfect Luna for you. She would make a wonderful choice for you, My King."

For a moment, Nikolai stared at them, his expression unreadable. He glanced at Sophie as if considering her carefully, before his gaze flicked back to me. A scorn crossed his face before he looked back to Sophie again.

Oh, yeah. Just like everyone else, he thought I wasn't worth anything.

In my heart, I prayed fervently that he would dismiss my father and step mother and choose instead, to mate with another girl. Sophie shouldn't win this. I would be screwed if she did.

But the gods had other plans.

The wolf priestess, Anya, leaned in and whispered something into Lycan Nikolai's ear. When she pulled away again, he continued to stare at us with that blank, expressionless face of his.

"Fine." He spoke with a tone of finality. "Sophie will take her place. The rites will be performed tomorrow night."

My heart fell in disappointment and beside me, Sophie beamed, her smile sickeningly sweet. Her eyes then shifted and locked onto mine with nothing short of triumph. I rolled my eyes and looked away again.

Valerie gave me a quick, victorious look before turning back to Nikolai and bowing before him.

"Thank you, My King."

As the rest of the full moon festival continued, I stood by a corner, watching the party and avoiding judgemental eyes. Out of habit, I adjusted the beanie on my head.

Then, I noticed Valerie and Sophie cat-walking towards me with victorious smirks on their faces.

"Sulking, are we?" Valerie asked me as they reached me.

"And why should I be?" I pasted a fake smile on my face as I stood straighter.

"Because as always, I was picked instead of you, dearest sister." Sophie batted her lashes at me and gave me a sweet smile. "It was foolish to think you'd ever be Luna. I am always the better choice."

"Better choice?" I laughed a low, sarcastic laugh. "Is that why you force yourself on everyone you meet? Is that why you like to take away everything that rightfully belongs to me? My boyfriend for example? Don't forget I caught you naked and having sex with him on my own bed..."

Before I could complete my sentence, Valerie's hand landed on my face, sending me a sharp slap that echoed across the hall.

Almost everyone was staring at us now, some of them pulling out their phones to take videos and pictures as they tried to suppress their laughter. My face burned in embarrassment.

"You'd better mind your tongue and remember your place." Valerie hissed at me as her eyes narrowed and her lips curled in disdain. "Sophie is better than you in every way. No one would want a cursed and evil child like you."

Then, in the flash of a second, she grabbed the beanie on my head and snatched it away, exposing the white smooth waves of my hair that cascaded freely down my back now.

I heard a few gasps of shock at this.

"See? I told you she was cursed!" A girl's excited voice came, followed by another.

"She really is cursed. She's bad luck."

My eyes watered as I watched Valerie and Sophie stare at me with twisted, satisfied smiles on their faces.

"See?" Valerie said. "There's the evidence. You are worth nothing. So, don't you ever think you're better than Valerie in any way. You are not and can never be."

I stared back at her, trying my best not to let my tears fall as my hands trembled at my sides. I wanted to lash out, but I swallowed my rage and did nothing. If I as much as tried to defend myself, they would add to the hell that I was already living at home.

"You know the way home, Elena. Your father would drive Sophie and I home." Valerie said, pushing a couple of bags into my chest with unnecessary force. I caught them before they could fall.

"Goodbye, sister. Don't worry. I'll consider hiring you as my personal handmaiden after I become Luna." Sophie chuckled and followed Valerie and my father as they walked out of the hall.

Sniffing back tears from falling, I did not hesitate to hurry out of the hall shortly after. As I walked down the street home, I shivered as the cool night air hit my skin. I pushed the beanie further down over my white hair, as if it could hide the mark that branded me. I had never fitted in. I had never been good enough.

My life has always been a sad, pathetic story. I was born with unusual white hair and a hole in my heart. And to make matters worse, my mother had died while giving birth to me. Because of this, everyone tagged me as an evil and cursed child. I think my father's hatred for me had started from that moment too.

A few months later, my father had brought his mistress; Valerie, and his second daughter; Sophie, who was my age, to the house and I had became a slave and an outsider in my father's house from an early age. Even in the pack.

Unlike Sophie who was treated like a princess, enrolled in the Duskborn Elite Academy, and given the finest of things, I was treated the exact opposite. I was made to sleep in the basement and I never had new clothes, neither did I have any friends.

Well, I had one. My boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend now, after he had broken my heart when I had caught him cheating on me with Sophie.

And now, I had just been coldly rejected by the Lycan King. Even though I had seen it coming, it was proof that I wasn't even on the good side of the moon goddess. I had already concluded that the only reason she had given me life was so that she could enjoy watching me suffer.

When I finally reached home, I was surprised that Valerie, my father and Sophie weren't here yet. They had taken the car, so why were they late? Maybe they had made a stop somewhere.

Just as I began to drop the bags in my arms, the phone in the living room rang and I hurried over to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Elena Rivers?" A professional female voice asked and I nodded as if she could see me.

"Yes. How may I help you?"

"This is Duskborn's General Hospital." The voice said. "Your family has been involved in a car accident. You need to come to the hospital immediately."

[ Elena ]

I stood by the hospital window, watching my father and step mother through the glass. They were seated around Sophie's bed where she was lying unconscious. The both of them looked fine except for a couple of bandages and plasters here and there.

Valerie had her head on my father's shoulder weeping softly while he comforted her with his hand smoothening her back gently.

From what the nurse had told me earlier, Sophie was the only one who had sustained serious injuries and was now in a coma because of that. According to her, she was going to wake up but they weren't sure when.

I wasn't allowed inside the hospital room when I came. My stepmother had made that clear when I arrived.

"We don't want you around here, Elena. You'll only bring bad luck. Who knows if you're not the one behind our accident." She had hissed at me with a glare.

So, I stayed in the hallway, silently observing and feeling sorry for Sophie. As much as I disliked her, I didn't want this for her.

"What is going on?" I heard a deep, low, honeyed voice come beside me and I turned my head immediately to see the last person I expected to turn up here.

Lycan Nikolai.

His tall frame was wrapped in a dark coat and his height and masculine build carried an air that made me feel so small before him. His black hair was slightly tousled and his sharp jaw was clenched as he stared down at me with those golden, amber eyes that was both piercing and mesmerizing. Enough to weaken my knees.

My breath caught at once and I immediately lowered my head before him. My heart was beating fast in my chest and I figured it was because I had never stood so close to him before.

Damn, he looked like a god, standing before me. His aura was so otherworldly.

"My King." I could hear a slight tremble in my voice. But he didn't respond. He simply stood beside me, his gaze fixed on Sophie through the glass.

Slowly, I straightened my posture again to see his eyes still on Sophie. His eyes held no emotions. It was as if he was watching a boring scene from a movie.

"My king!" Valerie exclaimed as soon as she sighted Lycan Nikolai and rushed out of the room with my father at her heels. They didn't mind that they were limping or covered in bandages. If anything, their grief seemed to evaporate the moment they saw him and it embarrassed me greatly.

"My King." My father bowed low before him. "Thank you for coming. We..."

"What happened?" Nikolai's deep voice silenced my father instantly.

Valerie stepped forward, her voice shaky as she explained.

"It was an accident, your Majesty. We lost control of the car and Sophie got hurt badly. But the doctors said she will recover soon. She is strong, just like you need her to be."

Lycan Nikolai's expression did not change. His eyes were still devoid of emotion as he stared at Sophie through the glass.

"When will she wake up?"

"Soon, my king. Very soon." My father jumped in and replied, his voice thick with desperacy.

There was a long pause, before Lycan Nikolai's gaze finally shifted, landing on me.

"You." His tone was cold and commanding as usual. "You will be my temporary bride and Luna until your sister awakens. Keeping the Luna's throne empty is a risk to the pack."

I blinked, unsure if I had heard him right. He wanted me as a temporal Luna? Me?

My father froze, his mouth hanging open, while Valerie's face turned an alarming shade of red.

"My King..." Valerie stammered, her eyes filled with panic. "Elena is not... she is not suitable."

She glanced at me, her lip curling. "She is weak and sick. Cursed too. You deserve someone worthy. Someone like Sophie. How about you wait just a little? Sophie will be awake. I promise you..."

Lycan Nikolai turned to her, his expression even colder now.

"I did not ask for your opinion."

Valerie fell silent, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. My father tried to step in.

"My king..."

"Enough." Lycan Nikolai hissed at them, the amber shade of his eyes now a bright glow as if it were in flames. I gulped in terror and the hallway fell deathly silent. Valerie and my father exchanged scared and nervous glances but didn't dare speak again.

Lycan Nikolai turned his attention back to me, his eyes returning to their natural shade as they bored into mine.

"You will follow me now. The maids will prepare you for the mating ceremony tonight. We cannot waste any more time."

My heart felt like it had stopped at once.

Tonight? Oh my god! The mating ceremony was tonight?!

I felt the urge to protest but the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I was crippled by fear. Arguing with Lycan Nikolai was literally the same as asking for your head to be snapped off your neck.

Nikolai didn't wait for a response. He turned and began walking away with his guards, his steps echoing in the long hallway.

Before I could follow him, a hand clamped down on my wrist , yanking me back. My heart caught in my throat and I snapped around to see Valerie's face twisted in fury. Her nails dug into my skin as she hissed at me, her eyes heavy with hatred.

"Don't think for a second that this is permanent. You are just a placeholder, you pathetic thing. The moment Sophie wakes up, you'll be out of that throne so fast your head will spin."

Her grip tightened around my wrist, her nails biting deeper. I winced at the pain and tried to wriggle free from her but she held onto me even tighter.

"And if you even think about playing smart, if you think for one second that you can take what belongs to Sophie permanently, I will eliminate you."

I glanced at my father's direction, a small part of me hoping he would step in and stop Valerie. But his face was just as passive as ever and he glared at me like I was the most irritating being he had ever come across.

"What? You think your father can save you?" Her lips curled in a wicked smile. "No one can save you from me, Elena. Just one wrong move, and I will make sure you join your pathetic mother in the land of the dead before you even realize what's happening."

[ Elena ]

As I stood at the center of the raised platform, draped in crimson and gold, Anya circled Lycan Nikolai and I with an elegant grace that was too smooth for her old age. Her long black robes swept the floor and her silver hair glinted under the torchlights surrounding us.

As she performed the mating rites chanting in a language I didn't understand, I kept my gaze on Lycan Nikolai who was standing before me, his expression blank and piercing as usual. He was dressed in ceremonial black, his broad shoulders draped in a cloak that made him look even more imposing.

Suddenly, Anya turned to me, her hand reaching out. I expected her to touch my forehead, like she had Nikolai's, but instead, her palm pressed against my chest, right above my heart.

The contact was electrifying and a strange warmth spread through me. I instinctively stepped back.

Then, she leaned in, her voice so low, only I could hear.

"There's more to your weak heart than you think, child." Then, with a crooked smirk, she added. "You are in for an interesting ride, girl."

Before I could ask what she meant by that, she had already straightened, her face impassive once more. She continued as if nothing at happened before pronouncing a few minutes later.

"You are now mated by the decree of the Moon Goddess!"

As soon as the mating ceremony was over, I followed Lycan Nikolai to the packhouse and was shown to my new room by the maids.

A few minutes later, I was standing in front of the large mirror in my new room, with the maids fussing around me as they prepared me for my first night with Lycan Nikolai.

As much as the idea of having my first sex with Lycan Nikolai felt like a dark, fairytale dream of having the hot dark lord make love to you, it scared the shit out of me. I felt like I was undeserving of him. I shouldn't be in this world of his.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The red lingerie they had chosen clung to my body, leaving little to the imagination. My skin burned with embarrassment.

"Stop squirming." One of the maids snapped, tugging at the lace straps.

"I'm not squirming." I muttered, although my voice lacked conviction.

The maids didn't like me. That, I had known right from the moment I stepped foot inside of the packhouse. I had seen them gathered around, whispering to each other and laughing. Laughing at the weakling imposter who was acting as the Lycan's mate and Luna.

I lifted my gaze as the head maid entered the room. She was a middle aged woman and her sharp features twisted into a scowl the moment she saw me. Her eyes raked over me with disdain.

"I still don't understand what the Moon Goddess was thinking, mating you to the Lycan King." She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head pitiably at me.

"There are better girls out there." She continued. "Girls like your sister, who you probably orchestrated into that coma to steal her place."

I opened my mouth to protest, but her sharp laugh cut me off.

"Don't bother denying it." She said. "You're weak. Useless. The Lycan King deserves someone strong by his side, not a sniveling little thing like you. Once your sister is out of her coma, the Lycan King would do away with you right away."

I heard the other maids struggle to stifle their laughter. But I could still hear them.

I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. I wouldn't let them see me any weaker than they already thought of me.

"Get her to the King's quarters." She ordered before storming off away.

The maids obeyed her and led me down the hallway to Lycan Nikolai's quarters.

As soon as we reached his door, the maids stepped behind and allowed me go in alone. With a small exhale, I pushed the door lightly. It was unopened and I slowly stepped inside. But the sight that greeted me caused my feet to freeze to the ground.

A woman, naked and beautiful, was straddling Nikolai's face as she moved against him slowly, her soft moan filling the room as Nikolai who was laying beneath her, flicked his tongue around her wetness, licking and suckling lightly on it. His strong hands were gripping her thighs in a way that left imprints of his fingers.

I stared wide eyed, pale with shock and unsure of what to do. This was my cue that I shouldn't be here and that I should leave, right? But what if I made a sound trying to leave?

But before I could make a decision on what to do, Nikolai's amber eyes flicked toward me. At first, they looked widened slightly as if surprised to see me, then he immediately switched back to his cold and detached look.

"Shut the door." He said to me before he continued to lick and suckle on the woman as she rode his face, his eyes still on me. The woman glanced at my way and smirked at me, as if rubbing it to my face that she was taking my place in his bed.

Not like I cared.

"Now." Lycan Nikolai pulled his head back and commanded me sharper this time.

I bowed my head before him and turned, shutting the door behind me with shaky hands. I shut my eyes briefly as I tried to get myself again.

I felt like a fool. A complete and utter fool.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why were you in my room last night?" Nikolai's voice came, breaking the silence that surrounded us as we had our first breakfast together at the dining table.

My breath caught in my throat and for a moment, I couldn't speak. Instead, I brought the warm cup of coffee to my lips and took a dainty sip of it.

"Are you deaf or just choosing to ignore me?" He asked me again, his tone a little sharper now.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my gaze to look at him. His eyes were focused on the meal in front of me as if I didn't exist.

"I... uhm, I..." I stammered, raking through my brain for a proper response. But nothing was coming up.

"You what?" He sounded a little impatient even though he still had his attention on his plate.

I swallowed hard, my hands gripping the fork tighter. I could feel a little anger flowing through me now but I held it back.

"I was... I didn't know... I mean, I was told to go..."

He finally lifted his amber eyes to look at me as he dropped his cutlery and leaned back in his chair. The faintest smirk tugged at his lips. But it wasn't kind. It was cruel and mocking. Yet, it looked so good on him.

"So, you thought you could just walk in and propose that I fuck you, like some desperate little fool?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"No! That's not..."

He cut me off at once without giving me a chance to defend myself.

"Let me make one thing very clear, Elena." His voice lowered as his smirk disappeared and his eyes pierced into mine. "I call the shots around here. If I want you in my bed, it will be because I decided so. Not because you're in the mood, or because you think it's your duty as my temporary Luna."

I felt my stomach burn at the word 'temporary Luna.' I was already sick and tired of being reminded of my present state.

"You will do what I say, when I say it." He added. "If I call you, you come. Whether you want to or not. Do you understand?"

I didn't give him a response this time.

"Do you understand?" His eyes shot daggers at me, but instead of replying to him, I found myself blurting, unable to hold myself back anymore.

"Why are you so mean?"

"Excuse me?" His face fell.

I blinked my eyes, shocked by my own audacity. I covered my mouth with my hand to stop a soft gasp from escaping.

What the hell was I thinking! I was so screwed. So, so screwed!

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

Nikolai blinked his eyes, disbelief breaking through his cold walls this time. He quickly reached for his cup for tea and took a long sip of it. My heart thumped loud in my chest as I watched him with fear stricken eyes.

He was going to kill me for speaking that way to him, wasn't he?

"You're uhm..." He stuttered and cleared his throat before he continued. Why was he stuttering? What is going on? "In the meantime, you'll be enrolled in Duskborn Elite Academy. I can't have you embarrassing me in public with your lack of refinement. You'll represent me while you're in that academy, so try not to embarrass yourself or me. You start tomorrow."

Then, without another word, he got up from the table and strode out. As if he was running away from something. Or rather, my dumb sharp mouth.

Did he just let me go after I had just blurted that nonsense?

And what was that thing he just mentioned about me attending Duskborn Elite Academy?